Pulford CofE VA Lower School, Leighton Buzzard
Pulford CofE VA Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Leighton Buzzard. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. It was 99% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Pulford CofE VA Lower School in detail
Pulford CofE VA Lower School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "‘Growing God's family through faith, hope and love, dedicated to realising the full potential of each other.’ "Leaders at Pulford Lower School have built an inspiring and joyful community in which everyone is enabled to flourish." (SIAMS) We are a happy, inspiring and supportive school where children enjoy learning."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Pulford CofE VA Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 42 families put Pulford CofE VA Lower School as their first choice and 82 named it as one of their preferences, for 45 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Pulford CofE VA Lower School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Pulford CofE VA Lower School are The Mary Bassett Lower School (0.3 miles, Good); Clipstone Brook Lower School (0.6 miles, Good); The Rushmere Park Academy (0.7 miles, Good); and Linslade Lower School (0.7 miles, Good).
The Mary Bassett Lower SchoolClipstone Brook Lower SchoolThe Rushmere Park AcademyLinslade Lower School
What parents say
68 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Pulford CofE VA Lower School (as of September 2025): 99% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 91% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (88%).
Who goes there
3.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 24 pupils (9.3%) received SEN support and 10 (3.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Pulford CofE VA Lower School had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leighton Buzzard Rail Station, about 940 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Leighton Middle School (outside), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 195 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Central Bedfordshire (47), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Pulford CofE VA Lower School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Pulford CofE VA Lower School are Leighton Middle School (0.1 miles), Linslade School (0.6 miles), Cedars Upper School (0.7 miles) and Brooklands Middle School (0.7 miles).
Leighton Middle SchoolLinslade SchoolCedars Upper SchoolBrooklands Middle School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
3.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
68 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
27.5
Avg class size
26.3
Infant (KS1)
28.7
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Pulford CofE VA Lower School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Pulford CofE VA Lower School.
- Kidz Zone Club - Leighton Middle School220m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Pulford CofE VA Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Pulford CofE VA Lower School is in Central Bedfordshire; for families living there:
- Central Bedfordshire's school travel policy: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 31
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 27 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Pulford CofE VA Lower School
Will you get a place at Pulford CofE VA Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Pulford CofE VA Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Pulford CofE VA Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Pulford CofE VA Lower School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Central Bedfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Pulford CofE VA Lower School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Central Bedfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
222 pupils
225 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leighton Buzzard
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leighton Buzzard
Across Central Bedfordshire council
Places available
4,158
Applications
3,678
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across Central Bedfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
24
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
13.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
259
Total Pupils
114
Boys
145
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
17.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,018
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,178
Per pupil
£1264k
Total funding
£12k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.0%
Overall absence
2.7%
Persistent absence
183
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Pulford CofE VA Lower School
What is Pulford CofE VA Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Pulford CofE VA Lower School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2010 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Pulford CofE VA Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Pulford CofE VA Lower School is oversubscribed, Central Bedfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Pulford CofE VA Lower School?
Pulford CofE VA Lower School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Pulford CofE VA Lower School?
Classes at Pulford CofE VA Lower School average 27.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Pulford CofE VA Lower School?
Pulford CofE VA Lower School has around 259 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Pulford CofE VA Lower School?
3% of sessions were missed at Pulford CofE VA Lower School in 2024/25. 2.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Pulford CofE VA Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Pulford CofE VA Lower School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Pulford CofE VA Lower School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Pulford CofE VA Lower School: Kidz Zone Club - Leighton Middle School (220m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Pulford CofE VA Lower School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 27 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Pulford CofE VA Lower School?
Pulford CofE VA Lower School is at Pulford Road, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 1AB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)